Loose Threads — Inside the new consumer economy

#154. In our latest episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Ryan Babenzien, CEO of GREATS, which makes timeless sneakers for men and women. We discussed how the brand is doubling down on digital at the expense of wholesale and retail and where it goes from here in this new world.

#153. In our latest episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Lindsey Andrews, co-founder of Minibar, a marketplace for wine, liquor and beer. We discussed the rapid growth of at-home beverage consumption over the last three months and how the company shifted into customer service mode to manage the crisis so far.

#152. In our latest episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Eliza Blank, the founder of The Sill, a modern plant company. We discussed how the brand is approaching advertising, customer communication, and what changes will remain once life is back to normal.

#151. In our third episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Julia Hunter, the CEO of the lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne. We discussed her views on a rebalanced retail strategy and how the crisis has pushed her to realize how much of a business’s trajectory is outside of human control.

#150. In our second episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Abe Burmeister, the co-founder of Outlier, a menswear brand pushing the limits of materials and performance. We discussed how the brand has handled supply chain woes, invested more in social media and struck a balance between customer communication about when to spend money on clothing and when to save it.

#149. In our first episode of Offense vs Defense we talk with Sarah Paiji Yoo, the co-founder of Blueland, a brand reimagining cleaning products to eliminate single-use plastic packaging. Blueland has seen a huge spike in demand in the last two months but it comes with all of the challenges every brand is facing deciding when to cut back and when to invest.

#148. Every week on the podcast we’ll challenge a recently-announced business strategy to understand the upside and downside of the brand’s approach. We discuss Loop, a reusable packaging consortium’s decision to move into retail and whether or not the complex model will appeal to the masses.

#147. Every week on the podcast we’ll challenge a recently-announced business strategy to understand the upside and downside of the brand’s approach. We discuss Elite Model Management’s decision to launch its own apparel brand and whether or not the modeling agency can run a fashion label.

#146. Every week on the podcast we’ll challenge a recently-announced business strategy to understand the upside and downside of the brand’s approach. We discuss KIND Snacks’ expansion into four new product categories and if the brand can be more than just a snack bar company.

#145. Every week on the podcast we’ll challenge a recently-announced business strategy to understand the upside and downside of the brand’s approach. We discuss Atari’s decision to open a handful of hotels across the U.S. and whether or not this move into experiences makes sense for the OG gaming company.